'Manipulation, perversity in stock markets needs to be checked'

New Delhi, Aug 28 (IANS) The financial vulnerabilities of the stock markets resulting in manipulation and perversity needs to be checked in order to promote fair and ethical trading practices, Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa said on Monday.

“There is dilemma between what technology and manual trading can provide. Increase of algorithm trading should not prevent people from participating in the stock market,” Lavasa said here at a seminar on ‘Policy and Regulatory Framework for Algorithm/High Frequency Trading in India’.

“Manipulation, perversity in market needs to be dealt with. Financial vulnerabilities are to be dealt with,” he said.

Lavasa said that the Indian stock market has matured and is hailed as one of the most powerful in the world.

“As we move forward, we are talking of more equity. So, it needs to be regulated and managed in a transparent way. It should have reliable infrastructure to involve more and more participants,” he added.

Algorithm and high speed trading are two crucial factors of stock exchange trading.